I could not put Locked up down! The story alternate's between two twin sisters who were separated at birth. Georgia is a woman who is being held in a mental facility being accused or murdering her sister's life. She is up against her wealthy and powerful family who despises her. She reaches out to her sister, Mandy who did not know she existed. Mandy is determined to avenge Georgia.

I really enjoyed this book! It's a fast-paced, twisty, dark thriller that kept me hooked right from the beginning. I really liked the alternating perspectives between Mandy and Georgia. Having both viewpoints gave the story more depth and kept things interesting, by being able to read not only what happens in the Locked Ward with Georgia, but as Mandy works to prove Georgia's innocence.

This was a suspenseful read and if you're looking for a book to grip your attention, this is perfect for you. I can't wait to read more books by Sarah Pekkanen.

A special thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

The books premise was more interesting than the actual book. I thought the characters were shallow and undeveloped. I have read other books by this author that were better written. The story was too easily wrapped up. It was hard to root for characters that you didn’t really get to know. Overall, I would recommend this one to fans of her books.

3.5 ⭐️

This author is an automatic read for me, so when I was invited to read an ARC of her newest novel, I was excited!
This book has an interesting dynamic, it follows twin sisters as they try and uncover what really happened when someone turns up dead and one twin is blamed for the murder.
There was multiple twists and turns that kept me on my seat, but no jaw dropping moments that I was totally surprised by. Overall, a good read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen.

Georgia wakes up in the locked ward and remembers she allegedly killed her sister. She asks her lawyer to find her other twin sister Mandy that has no idea they are twins.
The story is told back and forth between Georgia and Mandy. Can Mandy help Georgia get out of the locked ward or will she be there forever?

I have been reading Sarah since before she switched to writing psychological thrillers with Greer Hendricks. I’ve always loved her domestic fiction. With her past several books she’s new melded the two. The Locked Ward kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages thinking where IS she going with this?! Mixing high society, politics and.muder makes for quite the story. I was completely surprised by the ending. Bravo Sarah! Recommended for all public libraries.

The Locked Ward is about twin sisters, Mandy and Georgia, separated at birth. Georgia is in the locked ward for killing her younger sister Annabelle. The story alternates between Mandy’s and Georgia’s POV while the reader tries to decide if Georgia committed the murder. I think the plot was pretty original, but it did fall into some cliches at times. The epilogue in particular felt pretty gimmicky to me. The rich characters were very unlikeable and I wish there was more of Mandy’s life incorporated into the story as opposed to being limited to just solving the mystery. I don’t think this is Sarah Pekkanen’s best but it’s still a decent read. (3.5/4)

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This story unfolded slowly as twins discover each other and the secrets that were hidden. Another intriguing story by Sarah Pekkanen.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book. I was confused by for most of the book. I found I wasn’t connecting to the characters and I didn’t get what was happening. It wasn’t until you get towards the ending that it got more interesting. We get the twist that it was Amanda and not Georgia who was a killer. Amanda wanted justice for her friend getting assaulted by a guy who got away with it, but it went too far and he died. If only the book had maintained the suspense from the beginning, it would have been 4⭐️.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.*

I am a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen. I've read all of her books, including those she co-wrote with Greer Hendricks.

The Locked Ward was not my favorite of her titles but like all of them- it has a young, troubled female protagonist and features lots of twists and keeps you guessing.

Georgia has been arrested and charged with the murder of her younger sister. She has been placed on psychiatric hold and is in a locked ward for those with severe mental issues until she can be evaluated. Georgia comes from a wealthy, prominent family. Mandy is contacted by a lawyer who informs her that she has a before-now-unknown twin sister whom she was separated from at her birth when they were adopted to different families. That twin is Georgia. Mandy comes from a lower-middle class family and finds herself roped into Georgia's drama and has to decide if she wants to help her find the real killer.

I really enjoyed aspects of this story but it seemed less well-written than previous titles and many of the story elements seemed half-baked.

Not bad enough to skip outright but unpolished enough to have a head's up.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Sarah Pekkanen’s books are always an enjoyable and thrilling read. Nothing groundbreaking here but an entertaining story nonetheless.

3.5 stars rounded up. An intriguing thriller with some surprising twists and turns, especially towards the end. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t quite figure out why this novel didn’t work for me because I generally like this author. In fact, I think her last book was her best. But this one fell flat.

The book focuses on two themes: twin telepathy and the psych ward setting, but neither felt fully developed. I also had some ethical concerns about how this story came to be. The author mentioned in an Instagram post that she got the idea after a friend snuck her into a psych ward, where she observed the patients. As someone who has been a psychiatric inpatient in a “locked ward,” the thought of a bestselling author watching people at their lowest and using that as material for a novel just didn’t sit right with me.

Beyond that, the plot itself felt uneven. The climax leaned heavily into melodrama, to the point where it almost felt like a telenovela. And there was an entire subplot involving a woman that had no real impact on the main story… I’m still not sure why it was included.

I really wanted to like this book, but between the underdeveloped themes and the ethical concerns, it just didn’t work for me.

There is something special about all of Sarah Pekkanen’s books. They pull you in and make you want to abandon all of your adult responsibilities. In The Locked Ward we find Georgia and Mandy. Twins that were separated at birth. Georgia is accused of murdering her sister Annabelle and the only person that can help her is her twin who doesn’t know she exists. I loved the dual POV, the psychiatric ward setting, Mandy’s sleuthing, and all of the twists and secrets we find out along the way. Also, I think Mandy is my new favorite bad ass female MC! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book had me staying up late to finish and I couldn't get enough! I have never read anything by Sarah Pekkanen before, but I definitely will read more in the future! I loved the twist we got and that I didn't anticipate all of the plot twists! If you love reading thrillers, this is definitely one to add to the TBR!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for letting me read and review an ARC of this book!

This is an author I very much enjoy, and this one was no exception. Domestic thrillers are some of my favorites. I loved the complexity of the relationship between the two main characters and the family drama fueled in the background by old money and political scandal. This one was very well written and kept me on my toes. The ending reveal was chef's kiss.

Georgia, who is locked in an asylum after being arrested for murdering her sister Annabelle. She pleads insanity and awaits her trial, holding onto the last hope that Mandy will believe in her innocence and help her get out before she's killed by hidden enemies controlled by powerful figures.
Mandy (Amanda), who runs her family's bar after inheriting the place following her parents' deaths. She left her PR job behind, only to find herself at the center of a shocking revelation: the murderer making headlines—the one accused of vengefully killing her stepsister-is actually her twin sister, a sibling she never even knew existed.
One day, Georgia's lawyer calls Mandy, urging her to visit the hospital and meet her sister. Though skeptical, Mandy is too intrigued to resist confronting the presumed cold-blooded killer. When they finally meet, the unexplainable physical bond between them is undeniable. Then, Georgia hands over strands of her own hair, encouraging Mandy to conduct a DNA test. But deep in her gut, Mandy already knows the truth
-Georgia is her real sister, and someone deliberately separated them at birth.
However, the biggest revelation is yet to come: Georgia insists she's innocent. She warns Mandy that if she doesn't help get her out, someone will kill her. But is Georgia telling the truth? Or is Mandy just a pawn in her twin's dangerous endgame?
Determined to uncover the truth-not just to help Georgia, but also to piece together her own fragmented identity-Mandy is drawn into the elite's scandalous secret circles. She learns more about the Cartwrights, the powerful family that adopted Georgia. Was Georgia the black sheep of the family, envious enough to kill her own sister? Or was she a victim of neglect and mistreatment, driven to desperation?
As Mandy digs deeper, she realizes there are people who would rather see Georgia dead-and in doing so, she unknowingly puts herself in more danger than she ever imagined. But even at the cost of her own life, she is determined to push forward and bring justice.

4.5⭐️
I've read a couple of other books by Sarah Pekkanen, and this one was my favorite!
This was very face paced and super bingeable!

Georgia wakes up and realizes she is in a mental institute, and she needs to figure a way out before she is killed.

Mandy, an only child who has never even heard of Georgia, receives a phone call from Georgia's lawyer requesting her to visit. It is then that Mandy learns that Georgia is her twin sister and she is the only one who can help her get out alive.

The plot keeps getting thicker, and the twists are fantastic!

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this fun and fast-paced thriller! This was another winner by Sarah Pekkanen.
The book alternates chapters between two estranged twin sisters, Georgia and Amanda. The sisters were separated when adopted as babies. Georgia has been put into a mental institution after being accused of murder. When Amanda is notified that she has a secret twin sister, she goes to meet her at the medical ward and Georgia quietly tells her that she is being framed and that Amanda is her only chance at freedom.
The book has quick short chapters, alternating between Georgia struggling in the ward and Amanda on the outside fighting for their lives. The plot is creative and entertaining. Both sisters are complex. There are several different possibilities of who could be the murderer.
I enjoyed the pace of the book. It was original and kept you on the edge of your seat. The author did a good job of keeping it intense but not going too dark. I wish there might have been one or two extra chapters to wrap up all of the characters/plots, but otherwise, it was fun and a great thriller!